Banana Bread Recipe

Home made Banana Bread

Home made banana bread is super easy and quick to make, not to mention gorgeous to eat, warm straight from the oven.  When I decided to start writing a blog and include some of my recipes, I thought it would be interesting to research the history of them to see where they originated and why. Banana Bread is trending now so I thought it would be a good one to start with, plus I have a great recipe for it. Feel free to skip to the bottom of the blog if you just want to get baking.

Little did I know that banana bread became popular and was a trend in America during the Great Recession. The Great Recession occurred as a result of the Wall Street Stock Exchange crash in 1929. It prompted an economic downturn, mass unemployment and hunger and malnutrition followed. Nothing could be wasted so people looked for ways to use overripe or damaged foodstuffs. Sound familiar? It possibly explains why banana bread is trending right now in our current situation due to the corona virus pandemic.

FUN FACTS

Wikipedia has pages upon pages about bananas and their cultivation but here are a few “fun” facts I picked out: –

• February 23^rd is National Banana Bread Day
• Ireland had its first delivery of bananas from Fyffes in 1900.
• A banana is a “berry”.
• There can be 60-400 bananas growing on a banana “stem”, which can weigh 30-50 kilos!
• Domestication of bananas is thought to have begun in New Guinea but 135 countries grow them now, with China and India being the largest producers.
• Mary Ellis Ames, the Director of Pillsbury’s Cooking Service, is reported to have published the first banana bread recipe in her book “Balanced Cookbook” in 1933.
• Pillsbury’s was one of the largest producers of grain and foodstuffs in the States and Mary Ellis Ames was their response to their competition’s chef Betty Crocker.
• Betty Crocker is a fictional brand character created by Washburn Crosby Company in 1921.

If you want to find out more about Betty Crocker and Mary Ellis Ames check out Cooks Info and History of Banana Bread

If you would like to make banana bread the following recipe is straight forward and really tasty. If you are new to baking check out my blog on hints and tips for baking so you can avoid common mistakes. This is a lovely light sponge that is full of banana flavour and is fab hot or cold.

Sliced Banana Bread

Banana Bread Recipe (Allergens WHEAT, DAIRY & EGGS)

120g self raising flour

95g Caster Sugar

55g Margarine

2 medium Bananas

1 lg EGGS

½ teaspoon Baking Powder

3-4 drops Vanilla Essence

2-3 tablespoons MILK

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas 4
2. Cream the butter and sugar
3. Add the egg and mix
4. Mash the bananas and mix with the vanilla essence and a tablespoon of milk.
5. Add the flour and baking powder to the banana mixture in 3 equal amounts.
6. If the mix is very thick add another tablespoon of milk so the mixture is a nice dropping consistency.
7. Place the mix into a lined loaf tin and bake for 25 minutes. Reduce the temperature down to 170° C / 340°F / Gas 3 for 10-15 minutes until bread is baked.
8. To double check, insert a skewer or knife and if it comes out clean then the bread is ready
9. Place on a wire rack to cool or just tuck in!

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